Willow skipped down a well-worn path. She was close now, she knew. She could feel the dampness in the air. And she was right. The path curled around a large boulder and opened up to a magnificent veiw of the lake. The path continued on, winding a safe and careful way down, but having found the lake, the little one had no care for that. With a whoop louder than one her age had any right to make, she dashed, scrambled, tumbled and fell the rest of the way down the steep incline to the lakeshore. Having landed on a bed of sand, she was not injured. She was, however, extremely dirty. As usual. Dropping her backpack carelessly behind her, she splashed into the water fully clothed. The cool water felt wonderful. After paddling about a bit, she stipped out of her now-wet dress and flung it over some smooth rocks as she left the lake.

She searched the edge of the woods, looking for a certain root...Ah! there it was! She pulled it out of the ground and returned to her clothing. Pounding the root between two stones, it released a soapy substance which had a fragrance that Willow loved. She rubbed half of this into her clothing, wringing, twisting, and whipping it against the smooth rocks. When it was saturated into the battered dress, she tossed it into a shallow part of the water and continued the wash by stomping on it, in order to get the soap out. At the same time, she washed herself with the other half of the substance, diving into the water like an otter before coming out clean and shining. Her hair was still a mess, but it was clean, so she cared not.

She started a fire, near a big rock on which her dress was drying. The sun was down, and the moon was rising. It was so very quiet, she thought...until her tummy growled. She laughed. Picking up a large pine branch, she lit one end in the fire and waded out into the water. Fish, entranced by the light of her branch, swam up to her. She relaxed one hand in the water, moving it slowly. Waiting for a good fish...

Snori laughed as he whatched from a distance he was amazed at this young girls self suficancy, it was after all not somthing most humans tended to teach to young children... Given what ever they want never let to go hungry it was wrong, the elves had the right idea teaching about the wilderness and the dwarfs taught survival... it was underground survival but it was their home.

Whatching the girl try to catch her food made him relise just how hungry he was too... walking down slowly to the watters edge about 100 meter from [willow] Snori pulled out his book and began to ponder the words after about a miunute he desided on the spell. Picking out a small worm from the embankment he tossed it into the water while muttering under his breath. He waited just long enough to attract that fishis antention then let the spell take affect. The grass and the weeds began to squirm upwords pushing up out of the water tangeling together trapping several fish in its grasp. Wading out in his cloths he plucked the four biggest fish and let the spell nulify alowing the smaller fish to slip away.

Upon reaching the shore he wasted no time in dispatching the fish with the use of a rock. Leaving them their he gatherd up some wood and tinder, biulding up a mound of drift wood and tinder. He lit the cooking fire with a minuture ring of fire that sprung up from the ground. Letting the fire take hold he turned his atention to the fish pulling out a throwing daggar he began to descale the fish.

Willow's fist closed around the tail of a large fish suddenly. With a jerk, she tossed to shore a large fish. Only one, it was true, but it was a big one, and she was a little girl, with smaller stomach to feed. She sloshed back to her camp, tossing her stick back into the fire. She needed....a large flat rock, preferably slightly indented. She found one. Quickly scrubbing it clean with water and a handful of sand, she piled firewood around it. After cleaning and de-gutting her fish, she wrapped the two fillets in wet leaves, before lighting the firewood. As it burnt, it heated the rock, thus giving a fry-pan effect.

Willow checked her clothing. It was dry enough. So she dressed again, after smothering her first fire with earth. She didn't need it now. She tried staring at her cooking dinner, but it would be a while. And she was bored, as well as hungry. So she began wandering around the edge of the forest, looking for something to add to her dinner. After finding a few mushrooms she recognized, and a handful of sweet berries, she happened to notice the other fire. Was it hers? She glanced back. No, that one was hers. This one was bigger.

Caution was not something Willow had learned yet. It never occurred to her that the occupant of the other fire might not be friendly. So, fearlessly, she walked up to and within the ring of light that the fire cast, looking for the creator of the fire.

After descaling the fish he quickly set about gutting them pooring the guts into the fire. Picking up a stone he shifted it to be close to the fire checking the heat he placed the fish along the stone... it would take a while but still good none the less. wondering how the girl was getting along he moved so he peered along the water line but noteced the absence of the girl he turned around quckly. The girl was standing in his camp he was taken aback and wondered what the hell she was doing there the remembered he had just been looking to she how she was doing... she ad every right to be there.

As he walked back into the camp he relised that he was grasping the hilt of hte war hammer out of habit, letting go imediatly he felt foolish... but he had met some pretty dire creatures on his travil's.


Hoping the girl was as self suficant as she had suggested with the fishing and fire he sat down. It wasnt children as such it was just their whinning and ineptness. Looking up he adressed her directly.

"So what buisness do you have in my camp? And at such a young age?"

Willow glanced around, standing in place until the person re-appeared out of the darkness. She noticed the war hammer, but in an offhand, unafraid way. Basically, she wondered what it was for. She watched him sit down. He seemed to be a dwarf. She'd seen only one before. This one seemed...surprised. She offered no remark, made no statement until he had spoken first. It was more out of respect than because she had nothing to say. Better for him to acknowledge her first.

"So what buisness do you have in my camp? And at such a young age?"

"I'd be older if I knew how. I saw your fire. I came to see who you are."

Willow answered simply, directly. He was direct. She liked that. It was easy to understand. she sat down without waiting for an invitation to do so, manners forgotten. Taking a bite out of a mushroom as she gazed at him, at the clothes he wore, at his beard, At his mail and again at his war hammer, finally meeting his eyes. "Are you a dwarf? You are pretty tall. Why do you carry a hammer?" She asked.Of course, at her childhood height, anyone over four feet was considered 'tall.' And she'd seen blacksmith hammers before, but she'd never seen a hammer like that.

He laughed "Tall to you maybe but to the rest of the world i am literaly a dwarf. I must say you do have a quick wit for some one your age... and this hammar is for my protection" He looked her up and down. "much like the dagar you carry."

He sat on a rock and fliped the fish over and around to make sure they were cooked through. Staring into the fire he continued "My name is Snori i am as you so rightly suspected a dwarf... can i offer you some fish?" he like this child she was dirrect and to the point a dwarf quality to be sure and whats more she apeard to be as mature as he expected.

"You have my name so may I have yours unless of cource you want to be called 'little girl'" he smiled.

"..This hammar is for my protection...much like the dagger you carry."

Willow glanced down at the small knife she carried in plain sight, at her side. Protection? she used this knife for all her daily activities. Yet, she supposed, if she needed to, she could defend herself with it, too. Thieves and bandits avoided little girls, it seemed. And wild animals usually perferred to run away. Those that didn't usually found her up in a tree, or in a small crevice, maddeningly out of reach. Willow didn't bother to say this out loud, though.

"My name is Snori. I am as you so rightly suspected a dwarf... can I offer you some fish?" He had asked her.

"Thank you for your offer, Snori" Willow began, with a smile, "But there is no need. I have a meal cooking. It will be done in a little while." It was, perhaps, a little strange to hear such a little girl talk so precisely. She spoke the language like...like it wasn't her native tongue. Which was rather true, in a strange way. She paused to consider what to say when the Dwarf asked her for her name. Her native tongue, if she had one, was the rustling and creaking of leaf and branch. This was how Old Willow had always spoken, and, like any child, she had picked up the meaning, even though she couldn't reproduce the sounds perfectly. She had learned the so-called 'common' tongue when she had lived with the miller. She tried to remember...what did they call that tree?

"You may call me whatever you like, but my name is... Little...Willow, I believe." She answered, solemnly.

"Willow you are trully selfsuficant" Snori was liking this girl more and more and in most respects like a minature adult. He began to take off his new armour it was more protective than his original raged chainmail but it sure was heavy. He proped it up againced a tree then rested his war hammar againsed it as well. he keeped his spear neer his side.

"You speak as though this isnt your first languge were you braught up by elves?"

Elves he thaught he distrusted them but they were morre reliable than humans but the real evil ones were just so twisted. He pulled the stone away from the fire and picked up one of the fish, he placed it on a small stone and began to eat.

"Any way what are you doing out here Willow?"

Finishing his fish he let the other ones cool and he pulled out a large leather book, tattered through age and battle. He began to read glancing up ocationaly.

Willow grinned. He liked her. She could tell. She watched him take off his plate mail. It was armor so strong, it seemed to stand up by itself. She watched as he leaned his hammer against it as well. Shw wondered, mildly, if this gesture said more than he did. But before she could think about that, He asked about her upbringing. He asked if she had been brought up by elves. "Elves? I've never seen any elves. Except maybe once when I was little." she replied. To Willow, anything that happened more than a year ago happened 'when I was little'. Willow couldn't explain about the person who raised her...it hurt to much to think about, and anyway, she didn't have the right word for her. So she decided to tell about the miller, instead.

"When I found out there was other ...people, I was surprised! I never knew there were so many kinds of them, either. I lived with a man who lived in a stone house with a wheel on it. Water made it go. And the Wheel turned grain into flour for bread and stuff. It was really busy all the time, especially when the leaves change color. But when the snow fell, it stopped being busy. And the man started drinking out of dark bottles. I tried some of it...it tasted nasty. So I wasn't surprised that he started throwing them away. But when he started throwing them at me, I realized that he must have needed to be alone for a while. So I left. And I guess I just never went back!"

Willow spoke this unusual story without a trace of shame, or fear, or any sorrow at all. She had not felt any real attachment to this man, other than a slight amusement. She had lived with him because he had fed her, she had done her best to help out, and when he didn't seem to want her around, she had left. Funny. She hadn't thought of that man in a long time. She wondered, idly, if he was still throwing bottles at things. But now Snori was asking her a new question.

"Anyway, what are you doing out here Willow?"

"Oh...well, someone told me there was a pretty lake down this way, so I wanted to see if I could find it. And I did." She answered simply.

Snori smilled even though it was a sad story but he could tell that it was worse than that... everyone had a story they didnt want tell even if it was a small girl.

"you know most children at your age probably can even feed them selfs but you...
you have somthing more your special willow and its somthing to be proud of."

He began to rap up the fish in some leaves binding them with string and putting them in his pack one by one.

"You want to eat alone or you could eat over here.. i am awfull lonly." he laughed he was begging for the company of a small girl what was the world coming to... a very bad one come to think of it... if ever i find that miller... He fround no body had the right to do that to a small girl no one.

***
Out of the woods a white wolf came bounding caring two rabbits in its mouth. It ran up to Snori and dropped then looked around then saw Willow it made a low growling noise starring at her mouth open.

***

"No you stupid mut" Snori said in between ruffelling its fur "She a friend besides she wouldnt hurt you."

Looking up at willow he explained "I found her in a spike pit set up by hunter's when she was a pup so i pulled her out and healed her. I geuss im like a mother to her but she protects me most of the time."

"You know, most children at your age probably can't even feed themselves, but you...
you have something more. You're special, Willow, and it's something to be proud of."

Considering this for a moment, Willow was quiet. Was it something to feel pride for? Snori had said so, so it must be true. She smiled, feeling warmed by something more than the fire. And speaking of fire....She glanced over her shoulder at hers. It was dying down now. Her fish was probably about ready by this time, but...she didn't want to leave. She liked Snori. And more importantly, she knew that he liked her. So when he allowed her to fetch her dinner and return, she did so, quickly. But not so quickly that she didn't take the time and care to smother her campfire, first with water, then with earth.

Soon after Willow had come back, she heard a slight rustling in the bushes at the edge of the woods. Seeing the white wolf come forward and offer food to Snori, she was very surprised. When it spotted her, and growled, she was not surprised. That was normal wolf behavior, and she tensed, ready to run for the lake if it charged. She had escaped a wolf that way before, since they were much faster at running than at swimming. But to her further astonishment, the wolf calmed down at Snori's command and even allowed him to stroke it's fur.

"I have seen some of those kinds of traps." Willow remarked, thinking about it. "I don't like traps that are more complicated than a snare. If I can't catch it in a snare, or catch it myself, I don't want to eat it. And some hunters set so many! How do they eat all those animals?" She wondered aloud, staring at the wolf, though not directly in it's eyes. Old Willow had told her a little about animals, and one of the things that she remembered was that to stare in the eyes of a wolf was a challenge. Still, she'd never seen a wolf so close before. She couldn't help but look at it.

"dont worrie she wont hurt you if it knows you." Turning his attention to the rabbits he picked one up gave it to the wolf who proseded to eat it. Snori picked up the other one and skined it very carfully trying to keep as much as possible.

"the rabbit skins sell for a lot in small markets." he explained

Finishing the skining he ran his knife up the belly of it and let the wolf eat the guts.
he then cut the meat into small strips and laid them out on the stone used for the fish and began to cook them.

***
The wolf finishing its meal rose to its feet and moved slowly off into the woods.
***

"Its a good warning for danger to come to think of it... much lighter sleeper than me."

Out on the lake the distant sounds of a boat or raft could be heared.

Willow nodded. It was a useful thing to know, really. She had always sold her skins at larger towns, simply because she stopped at larger towns where goods were cheaper. It had not occurred to her that selling prices would also be lower. She watched the wolf eat one rabbit and the innards of the other, quietly admiring the beauty and subtle strength of the creature. Willow thought to herself that she would like an animal friend, too. But, she wondered, What if there was some special magic involved? She decided to consult someone who, in her mind, was an expert.

"Snori..." Willow asked, almost shyly, "How do you...get an animal to stay with you... and like you? How do you make friends with them?"

Willow watched the wolf wander off back into the woods, a little regretfully. But then, her ears, accustomed to the noises of nature, picked up something...not natural. Not to her ears, anyway. She looked in the direction of the water, but she couldn't see what it was. In fact, she couldn't see anything. So, she turned back to Snori hoping he would share the magic secret to animal friendship.

He smilled animal friends ship he thaught... it could be a number of things...

"Well it could be a few ways. you could buy a domesticated animal that would be trained to follow you but i dont think that would be the best thing for you. Befriending one its hard but possible its just a skill that some have... i think i was lucky. Or there is summoning some animals are very rare of magical and can only be summoned by magic. That is possibly the hardest one of all."

He wondered himself how could she get a animal companion... by the sounds of her childhood she could use the company. Maybe i could get her a small one for her birthday like a cat or somthing... maybe he was just becoming soft.

The sounds of the boat or boats began to filter across the lake a little louder than befor.

Snori rose and doned he armour and placed his war hammer on his back.

"I tell you what Willow if I happen to meet you on your birthday i'll try to get you an animal as a present. How does that sound?"

Willow smiled so brightly, you'd have sworn she'd already just been given the sun. "I'd like that very much." She lost herself in pleasant contemplation of having an animal friend. What color would it be? What kind of animal? She hoped that it would have fur. But then, she'd once picked up a pretty green snake that had been soooo interesting to look at. She thought about those lizards that changed colors. They were neat, too. But what about birds? They came in so many pretty colors and some would try to imitate her! What would having a bird be like?

The only animal that Willow didn't think would make a good pet was a fish. Although very pretty, fish needed water all the time. She watched absently as Snori replaced the armor he'd removed. That would have normally told her something, but her throughts where elsewhere. The noise of the watercraft was very audible when she suddenly thought of something. But it wasn't about the noise.

"Snori? What is a Birthday? Do you have one? Do I?" She asked, suddenly.

"Snori whats a birthday?"...."Do I have one"
When she asked those questions his heart sank how was he going to explain this now?... Birthdays had no real point anyway....

"A birthday is kind of a celebration of you'r um birth.... if you dont know when you were born i'm sure we can geuss." He smilled, well at least she would be happy with a animal for a present.

The sounds of the boat were geting louder, and the passangers sounded very roudy.... two words came to mind bandits or orcs... Shifting slightly Snori stopped the fire spell underness the actuale fire dramaticly reducing the blaze, He wouldnt be able to put it out compleatly with out creating a lot of smoke. He would just have to hope they wern't spotted.

"How does a wild cat sound as a gift?"

By now, even Willow was wondering who was coming, although she didn't have Snori's natual sense of caution. And why were they so noisy? But when Snori explained a few simple facts about birthdays, and suggested a wild cat for her birthday, she forgot all about them and the fact that Snori was making an effort to conceal them. She could hardly wait to pick out a birthday of her own and get a kitty-cat present!

"I'd love that!" She exclaimed, with enthusiasm. But it echoed off the lake. She covered her mouth a little guility. The noise from the boat ceased abruptly. They had heard, and were now deliberately looking for the source.Willow wondered why they should fall silent because of her, all the same. Were they doing something that they didn't want anyone to see? And who were they, anyway? She tried to make out their sillouettes in the dark.

"Willow find a hiding place near by... want to be able to find you if anything happens ok." Snori spoke his voice barly above a wisper.

Taking his war hammer in one hand he cast a light spell over the lake, it lit up a raft with its shimmering white light. The occupance were clothed in black trying to conseal themselfs despite there noise. They began to shout as they had spotted him. the sounds of arows being notched were heard. Turning to check on Willow they fired a volley several fell short but three found their target one splintering harmlesly on his plate mail. One hit a weak point in the armour penitrating deep into his flesh, hot blood ran down his side. The other glanced off his breast plate.

Letting out a moan of pain from the one arrow he turned and Pointed at the heavens. The clouds above began to spark with in them selfs, then suddenly a bolt of lightning sparked downwards and as if guided by his hand it fell onto the back of the raft smasing a hole in it and capsising the raft. the occupants arngraly splashed to the shore just as another raft rounded into view. Franticly he cast ring of flame spell around the beach making a semi circle were the fire reached the water. It was stopping the bandits from reaching them but only for a while

"Willow?" He turned around looking for her so they could get away he couldnt see her was she hiding like he said?

Willow had not responded to Snori's remark-She had simply followed it, turning and ducking into the cover of a large-leafed bush. She had been watching, though, when Snori had lit up the sky in a brilliant flash of light and magic. She couldn't see the bandits, but she heard the flat twang of bowstrings and saw their dark shapes against the sky as they came whistling down to earth. One even landed rather close, but she was protected.

Willow heard a groan, and she almost left her place to see if Snori was badly hurt. But his commmand held her in place. He wanted her to hide. He said so. A sudden flashing and rumbling in the sky drew her attention upwards. When the lightning crackled to earth, Willow closed her eyes against the bright light, and the rumble that followed it made her teeth chatter. She'd never been so close to a lightning strike. The sharp smell of ozone that followed the strike drifted up along the beach. She saw Snori gesturing again, and saw the ring of flame that spouted up, burning nothing. She was astonished, although she didn't know why he had done it.

But then Snori called her name, looking around. He must want me to come out now, Willow realized. With only a faint rustling of leaves, she was by his side in an instant. And when she was, she saw something terrible. "Snori..." She gasped. "You're...you're bleeding!" Of course, that was stating the obvious. Willow, child though she was, realized that this was not really the time or place to administer first aid, even if she was required to do so. "What do you want me to do?" She asked him, instead.

"Run!" He turned his back on the bandits and chanted somthing in another language and the floor behind him erupted in fire and it bore a demonic beast made of fire and lava it charged through the flame wall he had created and charged at the bandits. More arows were shot most at the beast but some at Snori again this time only one hit but it shatterd on his mail.

"The beast should keep them busy now lets get out of here!" He shouted as he ran towards her the arow still sticking in his side. he bundled her up in is arms and keeped running in one fluid motion. Despite being very mature she was still just a child. He ran with her on his shoulder towards a large pathc of wood land. The pain in his side was almost blinding him and the blood was flowing freely down his side but still he ran on.

He reached the edge of the wood lands and continued through the close nit trees stumbling and almost triping several times. When he could run no more he set Willow down and colapsed in the rut of a large tree. Breathing heavily he weased
"You ok?"

Willow hadn't seen what he was doing, when he told her to run, she had. So she'd missed the demonic creature entirely. But although she was certainly fast for her age, her stride was very small. How could it be otherwise? So it was no wonder, really, that Snori could catch up to her. Once scooped up, she simply did her best to avoid jarring the arrow in his side, and to do as much as she could to make it easier for him to carry her. Though he stumbled and nearly tripped, she didn't make a sound, nor panic.

Willow couldn't help wondering, though, in the freedom of thought created by not having to decide where to go, or how to outrun their pursuers, what it was all about. Why had they shot arrows? Why, if they did not wish to be friendly, couldn't they just have passed on by? Why couldn't people just leave each other alone? She was interrupted from this train of thought by Snori's slowing down. When he set her down before collapsing himself, she looked up at the tree. Listening.

"You okay?" She heard Snori gasp. How could he ask that when he was so injured? Willow wondered.

"I am not hurt." Willow responded, directly. "But... you are. I think you need to get that arrow out. Even healing magic won't do any good until it's removed." She said, a little sadly. "We will be safe here, for a while. I think I can remove that arrow. I've taken them out of animals before. Will you let me?" She asked.

"Go ahead" Snori spoke in a strained voice. "But i think I have a strong enough healing spell." His vision was clouding over with a dark mist on the edge of his eyes, the arrow must have his some thing vital. He unclasped his armour so it fell of his body, the arrow had penetrated deep into his side the blood was running fast from the wound if he could use his supirior healing spell on it soon he would pass out and probably die.

His mind began to drift away to the sounds of the forest, birds running water and alike he forgot about the pain almost as if it had supsided. Snori was strugeling to keep awake. Now black spots were apearing in is vision he coudl barly see Willow and the tree's beyond were a green mass. He reached blindly into his pack and pulled from it one of his spell books.

"Hurry up and pull it out."

Willow stood over him a moment, taking a deep breath. She'd never done this for another person. She stepped halfway over him and placed one hand above the wound. The trees seemed to fall silent in the wind. The wound was deep. Any further tearing would making healing even more difficult. It would probably kill him. She wished, momentarily, that she had better light.

But she didn't. And Willow couldn't waste any more time wishing for silly things! She placed one hand lightly on the bloodsoaked shaft of the arrow. She closed her eyes. Rotated the shaft very,very slightly, first one way, until she felt resistance, then the other. Until it felt just right. this was how the arrow had gone in. she thought.

Willow opened her eyes and pulled the arrow painlessly from the wound, throwing it away from her as though it made her angry. Because it did. "The...The arrow is out, Snori..." She told him, stepping away and moving into his line of sight. "Hurry and cast your magic!' She added, anxiously.

Moving his hand over the wound he clasped it, the blood welled up inside and spilled between his fingers then with out any command or other motion blue light shone from the gaps in his finger's. Writhing in pain he bit on the cloth of his other arm so as not to shout out in pain. He began to spazam as the magic racked his body healing him of his mortal wound. Then as the pain subsided he sliped from conshusnes (soz about spelling) and fell limp in the rut of the tree.

He was breathing hevaly as he awoke not in the forest but in his dream world... he was huluconating from the blood loss. In this dream world he would face his inner demon, confront and best him for not all holucinations are imaginary. With his inner strugle one he began to fade back into reality once more.

Opening his eyes blearaly he focused on Willow, "I know what i have to do... I know how to get it out..." He rested for a short time then was jolted back in to the urgancy of current events. "Come on its not safe here." Snori slowly shifted untill he was upright and then he stood up unsteadaly every step was going to be a challeng.

Willow watched him cast the healing spell on himself with anxious interest, it was an advanced version of the spell she occasionally used on herself. When he collapsed into unconciousness, she watched over him for a while, listening to the rustling of the trees. At one point, a few voices came quiet near, they were searching the woods. Willow could see them, now and again as they dashed through the woods, splashed with moonlight from the gaps in the tree leaves. But, hidden in shadow as she and Snori were, the voices passed by without noticing.

Willow got up to follow them, to see where they were going. Then, she looked back at Snori. What if someone found him while she wasn't there? What about a wild animal? She didn't know how long he would need to rest. She couldn't leave him to chance, no matter how curious she might be. So, decided, she sat down again. Soon after, he began to stir. He opened his eyes. "I know what I have to do... I know how to get it out..." Snori told her, then seemed to fall asleep again. But soon, he was awake again. When he got to his feet, she could see that he was none too steady. But he seemed determined to go.

"Come on, it's not safe here"

"Okay." Willow replied. "But while you were resting, some of those people passed by. They didn't see us, but they went that way." She said pointing. "I guess they've probably got people watching for us all over the place." She added, calmly.

He noded slowly "Ok lets go to the nearest town." The town needed to be warned about the bandits they probably atacked so as not to let the word get out. He looked around then saw what he was looking for. He shifted over slowly and pain stakingly till he reached the stick. It was stout and thick perfect for a dwarf. He picked it up tested it. "Ok lets go but we have to be quiet." He began to move along a fair worn path. There was no pain it was just the giddyness from lack of blood it was like altitude sickness.

"When we get to the town i'll get you that cat ok?" He realy did want to get to that town in a way for Willow he in his own way owed her that much... it was probably his fault they attacked anyway.

Willow nodded quietly. Although she wouldn't have minded if he'd wanted to spend all night in the woods, if he wanted to go to town, she'd go, too. She walked silently alongside him, wondering about things that nightime usually made her think of, like why did the moon change it's face, and where do the stars go in the morning?

When we get into town, I'll ask Snori about that. she thought, just before Snori made his offer.

Brightening with so much happy anticipation of a furry friend, Willow was surprised that she didn't give off light, like the moon. She nodded, trying to stay quiet. Then she froze, listening. There was no sound except the trees seeming to whisper among themselves, but she looked around quickly for place to hide.

"Someone's coming..." Willow whispered to Snori!

He was still feeling fairly dissy when Willow said there was some ting coming. He looked around then spotted a rocky out crop with plenty of cracks and crevases to hide in. "Ok lets get off the path there's a rocky out crop just over to the right. We can hide there." He Droped his stick and picked his way through the undergroth. His Blood was replenashing quickly... it was proabably the left over magic from the Healing spell.

Making his way through He climed carfully and slowly over the rocks. He dug down deep into the bigest crevas he could find.

((soz its so short but im in a lesson so cant do much more.))

Willow hurried along as well, scrambling up to a smaller crevice. She turned and slid down into it backwards, just far enough so that she was well hidden, but still able to see. She stared at the path in front of them...waiting. Waiting. And waiting some more. Willow was about as patient as a little girl could be, but after five minutes, she was just about ready to tell Snori that she must have been mistaken.

But then, Willow saw a shaft of golden light. One that slowly got brighter as it neared. And then she saw why it had taken them so long for them to draw near-the people holding the lantern were stooping low, making out their tracks. Willow held her breath of eager interest. Would they see the tracks where they left the worn path? By listening, She could just make out the conversation between the...three...things, whatever they were, clothed in black.

"They came this way, they did. A short, heavy man and a smaller, lighter child."

"Where did the little one come from, I'd liek to know. Before, all we had to go by was the blood and staggerin of the man."

"'N then Oi found that arrow, and the blood stopped."

"S'pose 'e healed 'imself, then?"

"Musta. But now, where've they got to now?"

Snori smilled inwardly to him self as he heard the sounds of their noisy aprotch. They were decent archers but they wernt the cleaverist people in the world. He moved slightly so he could see them there were three and despite their apearance they seemed less human than they should, and they didnt reconise him as a dwarf which was odd as they wernt rare in these parts. He asesed the situation if they found the trail they would have to fight but if Snori gave them the jump then they would shout out and warn of there presence.

But as he whatched he relised to his horror that they had found his cast aside stick, it still had some splatters of blood on it.

"'ere look at this then the fat man prob'ly droped it."

"yeah 'es around ere some place."

They all began searching the path and the undergroth, one of them spotted his iron shod boots foot print. Then they picked up the trail, they were coming right for the two of them. He monuvered himself till he found the best cover, then he turned to Willow and motioned for her to stay low. He turned back and rose from his hiding place and cast entanglement on one who ws almost instantly engulfed in a mass of vines and roots. Then he bagan to prepare a flame stricke spell in his head as one notched an arrow.

"'ere look at this then the fat man prob'ly droped it."

"yeah 'es around ere some place."

Willow watched the three figures with curiosity. They spoke with a strange accent and they seemed... different than anyone she'd ever seen before. She couldn't place her finger on it... With surprise, she saw that they were coming forward. Coming towards them. What would they do if they were found, she wondered. She glanced at where Snori should have been, and caught a glimpse of movement, before one of the figures became entangled in vines and growth that seemed to spring out of nowhere. A spell.

"Bloody 'ell!" one of them exclaimed in a hoarse whisper

That left two, and they didn't seem so impressed. One notched an arrow, and pointed it in their direction, but althought he seemed to know they were there, he couldn't seem to see exactly where. He swung it, first aiming at Willow's hiding place, without knowing it, then at some bushes where he fancied a rustle, perhaps. The other drew a long knife and looked around, listening...waiting. Willow rolled out of her crevice and underneath a thickly overgrown bush without making a sound, where the cover from arrows would be a bit better, but it was easier to escape from, too... just in case she'd be told to run again.

He looked around behind cover to try to see where Willow was... spoting her he knew that she was in cover and looked prepared to run, so safe enough. Peering out of his hiding place he pointed his hand down at the one with the wicked looking knife. From the sky itself a colum of fire blazed down. It struck the man with the knife square on. It engulfed him in flame and the force sent him rolling to the floor. It didnt kill him but he began groning from the pain of his burns.

The other jumped out of the way of the blast and ignoring his commrads crys of pain he began to sidle to a better vantage point. he was trying to lockate Snori. Insted Snori jumped out first and shot the holy spell right at were he was standing, preveusly. It sailed down and harmlesly was absorbed into the earth. He turned swiftly swearing in dwarvish. The man lossed his shot and it flew true to Snori.
Only quick reaction's saved him the arrow insted grazed the side of his face, cutting him but doing only superfical damage. If it had struck he would have no eye and an arrow in his brain. Ralling quickly Snori drew he spear and charged down the side of the rocks. The man pulled from the deepths of his cloke a pair of finely weighted fighting knifes, they were evily shaped and curved with a barbed iner curve.

Willow watched as the man with the knife was taken down by a blast of rather painful looking fire from the very sky itself. She couldn't help wincing. It looked really painful, and even after the spell was done he was moaning in pain. Although she realized that they weren't friends, and she even knew that they were trying to hurt either her or Snori for some reason she didn't understand, she still felt a strong surge of pity and sympathy. For this reason, when the second magic attack missed, she felt a little better.

When the other shot another arrow at Snori, however, Willow's sympathy hardened a little, childishly. They were doing harm to no one! Couldn't they pass through a forest at night? She felt annoyed, and a little frustrated, which brought to mind the words that she had heard Snori use a second ago. They sounded so strange to her, and she wondered what they meant. They didn't seem like a spell, and it certainly wasn't instructions to her...

Lost in that train of thought, she didn't realize that the last man was approaching her, not on purpose, but simply as a purpose of his manuvering. Suddenly, she felt something strike her, not hard, and then topple over her. Honestly, the man was just as surprised as she was when he tripped over her! Scooting out of the way, her fingers brushed a large stone, which she instantly picked up. The man struggled to rise, but a quick, nearly perfect knock on the back of the head wth the stone sent him out for a little nap. He'd wake up in a few hours with a headache, perhaps, nothing more.

Willow stood up, brushing the leaves and soil off her just-cleaned clothes with a little gesture of annoyance. Really! it was more trouble than it was worth, trying to keep clean!

Snori broke into laughter at the man he had been focusing only on him and had seamed to have triped over willow! Then she had send him to a quiter place with a well thrown stone.

"Willow you truly are the better fighter here! But first we have do deal with our angery friends here."

He turned to the man with the bad burns, it wouldnt do for them to leave him here like this so Snori set about helping him. He picked him up slightly and draged him to a large oak tree he set him down at its base then he put his hand on the mans face and healed with the same spell he had used on him. The man was healed almost instantly and beagan to struggle againced Snori but he simply cast Goulish touch whilst his hand was still on his face. It sent him into a sleap that would last about an hour. he turned then to the man that Willow had dispatched with great ease.

"And now we have to deal with you two." he spoke to himself.

Picking up the sleaping man he put him on his shoulder and strode back to the same tree and dumped him down next the the other one.
Then he looked around to man still held by his first enchantment.
"If I let you out will you scream or attack me?" The man nodded as his mouth was stuffed with a vine. Snori let the magic spell subside and the roots slithered apart letting the man go. He almost instantly tryed to scrabble away but Snori grabed his foot and touching the bare skin parralised him with goulish touch. Draging him by his foot he placed him at the bottom of the tree with the others.

"Honestly im to nice to some people."
He cast entangle and whatched as the same vines and roots s before wraped themselfs around the three entwining them to the tree and each other.

Willow watched as Snori dragged, carried, and dumped the three men together, all sleeping. She giggled... they did look funny. She watched that him gesture the spell carefully...She wondered if she could do it. She'd have to try it, sometime.

And then all was secure. All the same, Willow wondered if those men would be safe there, tied up and left all alone. She didn't like the idea of leaving anyone defenseless, no matter what they did to her. But then, she relaxed. She hadn't any signs of the larger predators in the area. Nothing larger than a fox, anyway.

Just then, a crow flew overhead, cawing loudly. Willow started, then looked up at it. It seemed terribly loud in the otherwise silent forest. And when did crows call at night?

The trees rustled softly again, though there was no wind to be felt. Willow tilted her head, listening. They were whispering. Whispering about spies and a large group of men headed this way. Willow almost turned to tell her newfound friend, then hesitated, wincing slightly. She had found that most people didn't believe her when she told them she could understand what trees were saying. She didn't want Snori to think she was a liar, or worse.

Perhaps she'd better only say what she felt, and not why. "I think we maybe should keep moving...if you're feeling up to it," she added, loyally. "If not, I think we'd better find a better hiding place."

"No im not feeling so bad now. Come on your right lets get moving even the tree's dont sound happy at the moment."

He made hiw way back onto the path and began walk along it. He stopped and turned around. "They'll be alright you know, the men I mean they'll wake up in about a minute and the spell should wear off in about five." He smilled. "We had better get a move on the others will be atrackted by the noise." He began to walk again along the path, lisnting out fo more men.

"Come to think of it do you know where the nearest town is? cos i dont want to have to walk the wrong way for a mile." As he talked just on the edge of hearing he manged to make out somthing it sounded like talking, near by then after a short time he manged to hear the sounds of foot steps and the cracking of twigs.

"More people we better get off the path wich ever way we go." He moved off the path again hoping that they would be hard to track.

"No, I'm not feeling so bad now. Come on, your right, let's get moving... even the trees dont sound happy at the moment."

Willow followed along behind, relieved that at least he was feeling better. She was even more pleased when Snori told her about the duration of his spells. Willow looked at the tracks they were leaving, and considered breaking a branch off to sweep them away-a standard trick. But if they were experianced trackers, the sweeping marks, the broken off branch...would be louder clues than otherwise. She thought about that, as he asked her about the nearest town.

"The nearest town is straight down this path." Willow struggled to express the distance, without having the proper terms of distance, or even time. "A little ways. Very close. Not even enough for the moon to move, if I were to run."

Her relief was short lived, however, as Willow heard the sound of many men behind them. As they turned off the path, she looked at it regretfully, but uneasily. If those people were after them, they would leave the path, too. There was no doubt of it, as they were walking into long grass, which would bend and tell the way they went as clearly as if it were shouted aloud. Yet, if the men decided to leave them and continue whatever they were planning to do with the town, there was no way she or Snori could reach them or even give warning, in time. People might get hurt. She stopped dead.

"Wait." Willow said, simply. "I think we gotta do two things...slow them down, and warn this town. Otherwise, lots of people could get hurt...not just us."

As he listened to hear speak about the town he finaly gave in she was right their was no way that they could reach and warn the town, they or at least he had to slow them down. He always got mixed p in things like this... somtimes he just wanted to settle down in a small mine and have a go at digging a mine shaft... sure it was clieched but it was nice and dwarvish.

He turned around and steped onto the path. "Here goes nothing... Willow if i get wounded just run to the town and warn them ok theirs no point in you getting hurt."
He grabed his spear and jammed it into the soil then handed two throwing daggers at Willow. "use them if you get conered or attacked, throw them ok." He jestured with one how to throw it, then handed it back.

The men rounded a bend and came into full view, there were a lot of them... must have been at least 15 most armed with bows and odd looking swords. He Looked at the ground standing in between them and summoned a demonic beast. "Burn not the forest or Willow, harm only the men infront of you." He comanded. The men reacted by drawing their bows and lossing a volly into it, one or two arrow's missed but most hit and the beast was peppered by arrow's. It roared in pain and charged at them.

((Willow you have loads of gold are you going to actualy spend it on anything??))

((I plan to buy some spells, but even I of the creative writing have difficulty figuring out how Willow could use a spellbook when she can't read. And, according to the rules, one must have a spell book to have spells. I don't want her to suddenly be like "Oh, now I can read and write!" And I'm not even sure which spells I want her to use... I didn't forsee this problem when I created her, ehehe...))

"Here goes nothing... Willow, if I get wounded just run to the town and warn them, ok? There's no point in you getting hurt...use them if you get cornered or attacked, throw them, ok?" With that, Snori demonstrated, them put two smaller throwing daggers into her hand.

Because Snori was in front of her, she again missed the creation of the demonic beast, although it's roar of anger made her jump. She glanced around, more to see if they were getting attacked on a new side. It was lucky she did-another man, one that had gone past while Snori had been out cold, was returing to his comrades and had heard the fray. Seeing the situation, he went right for what he thought was a weak point...Snori's back and Willow. Without thinking, she let a knife fly, just as she'd been shown a moment earlier.

Of course, the knife didn't have much force, but then, it didn't need to...it was sharp. Because of her shorter height, it struck the man around the area of the stomach, and a little to the right. The man collapsed midstride, partially from surprise, mostly from pain from his non-fatal, but still crippling wound. Willow clutched the other throwing knife while she looked from side to side. If those were the men that went ahead, she thought, Then there should be at least one more, maybe two, if they didn't leave someone at the town. But where were they?

As soon as he heared to sound of the man falling, and his grunt of pain then Snori spun around. He grabed the spear and pulled it out of the ground. With out taking aim he threw it like a javalin at the man on his knees clutching his stomack. It flew into his shoulder ripping throught the flesh and becoming embeded in his shoulder blade. Then as soon as the spear was thrown he turned back and whatched his beast.

***
As it reached the mass of men it already had many arrows protruding from its body but it keeped on charging, it knew no pain. It cannoned into them knocking several men aside, then it began to slash with firey claws and its jagged teeth. But the men were well trained and were not frightend by the deamon and they began to over welm it with swift stabs and cuts with their oddly shaped swords and daggers. Some of those at the back of the brall raised their bows and fired another volley over at Snori and Willow.

***
Seing the arrows flying over he pulled out his sheild and protected his face from the progectiles whille standing in front of willow. Most of the arrow's bounced harmlesly off the armour but one stuck deep in the sheild. It penitraited the simple wood construct and sank into his arm.

Grunting in pain he grabed the arrow and pulled it out of the sheild with difficulty as it had large wicked looking barbs on the arrow head and shaft. Throwing the arrow aside he cast enervation into the mass of men. Then he looked back to check on Willow and to see if the man was dead or at least out cold.